


Relapse

by PaintedHeart



Series: Convalescence [3]
Category: Broadchurch
Genre: Comfort, Drama, F/M, Family, Romance, Sequel, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-16
Updated: 2015-04-28
Packaged: 2018-03-23 05:05:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3755488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaintedHeart/pseuds/PaintedHeart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the sequel to my AU story “Convalescence” and because it’s a direct sequel, you may want to read that story first before continuing on with this one.</p><p>Alec and Ellie have been trying to find a new normal ever since Joe was arrested. After a dramatic trial, both are ready to begin new lives in Broadchurch-until Lee Ashworth returns from France and threatens Alec's daughter. Alec finds himself forced back into the Sandbrook case again, and Ellie gets dragged under with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_Previously (Ellie's POV)_

"Alec, tell me what's happened," she says, forcing her voice to be clipped and professional.

He looks at her and now the shock is being replaced by white-hot rage, a sort of animal ferocity she is only barely aware that he is capable of. His eyes are dark pits in his face, though the blood is coming back to flush his cheeks now.

"Those calls to Daisy. The blocked number."

Ellie nods. She remembers Tess' phone call.

"It's him. It's Lee Ashworth." He spits the name out like it's poison in his mouth.

"How do you know?"

He hands her his phone. There's a text message open and it's a picture of Daisy arriving at school with her friends. The girl is laughing, completely unaware that she's being surveilled, and Ellie's blood turns to ice in her veins.

Under it is a brief message: **I showed you yours. You show me mine.**

"What does this mean? Alec—what is he talking about?" Fear has sharpened her voice.

"He's looking for his wife. He knows I've hidden her away. And if I don't tell him where she is…" He can't say it, he can't say what Lee will do to his daughter. Ellie thinks back to what little she knows of the Sandbrook case…the body of a young girl, left in a river for days. Alec doesn't have to say what he thinks Lee will do to Daisy if he doesn't cooperate.

She knows. It's the same thing he may have done to Pippa Gillespie.

_Presently_

As soon as Alec Hardy sees the image of his daughter on the phone, his blood freezes. There is a rushing sound, the sound of the tide creeping up Harbour Cliff Beach, the sound of the Sandbrook River rushing high in the rain. That liquid hissing fills his mind as his eyes run over the single, telling line of text underneath the picture. It floods his brain, makes it hard for him to think. It is the sound of fear, the deep sort of fear that is never really conquered. All he can think of, through that terrible noise, is that he cannot fail Daisy the way he failed Pippa and Lisa. The way he failed Danny.

The shock is slow to wear off, but a rising tide of anger is helping Alec regain control over his mental faculties. He lets it sharpen his senses, lets it flood him with adrenalin as his brain races to think of what to do next. He finally eases his grip on the counter, his fingers aching with the effort of it.

The first thing is Daisy: he has to get to Daisy.

He turns and sees Ellie staring up at him, her concern for him easy to read in her brown eyes. He forces himself to calm down; deep breaths in through the nose, out through the mouth. She looks shaken and that better enables him to get some control over himself, because he needs to reassure her, and she'll know if he's lying to her.

"I've got to get to my daughter," he tells her. His voice is steady and he's glad. Inside his heart is still squeezed tight, frosted with worry about his only child.

"Of course." Ellie nods.

"You should come with me," he says, just as her expression firms up while she adds, "You better not be thinking of leaving me—Oh."

He arches a brow at her, and Ellie's determination is replaced by slight confusion. "I thought you were about to tell me to stay here with the doors locked and not to poke my nose in."

"Would you listen if I did?"

She snorts in answer.

"There you have it. I don't have time to argue with you, and I'd rather you and the boys were with me anyway." He pauses. "It might be good to get away from here for a day or two."

"Right. That's what I was going to say," Ellie replies, her arms folded across her chest. "We can leave right away."

She turns away to get her broom to sweep up the broken glass, satisfied that he won't leave her behind in Broadchurch. Once he might have done, but he needs her. He needs to know that she and her boys are safe, and he needs her sharp instincts and fresh eyes. Especially if Lee Ashworth is anywhere near his little girl.

He bends to help Ellie clean the broken mug he'd dropped, letting his mind race through the options available to him. He's still got a few connections in the Sandbrook area, especially among the coppers there, though how many will want to help after he uses the name 'Lee Ashworth' is another story.

He can make those calls in the car, on the way up.

"I'm going to my flat to pack a bag, just enough for two nights. Pick me up when you and the boys are ready?"

Ellie nods. "We'll be as quick as we can," she tells him, clearly understanding his need for haste, and he is grateful for that. He kisses her cheek and heads out of the door, resisting the urge to jog all the way home. Pacemaker or no, he's not sure his body is up for that yet, but it won't be long now. He has been steadily regaining strength and physical stamina. And he'll need every bit of it if Lee forces him into a showdown.

Packing is easy. He doesn't own much except for clothes and a couple overnight bags. Though he hopes soon to be talking with Daisy face to face, he tucks the iPad into his bag anyway. He takes a quick shower and pulls on a fresh suit, though he doesn't bother with a tie: it would probably feel like a noose at the moment. Then all he can do is tamp down on his impatience as he waits for Ellie to arrive.

For having to wake up two young boys and pack overnight bags for all three of them, she does arrive surprisingly quickly. He puts his bag in the boot and then takes his place in the passenger seat, noting that Ellie has taken a quick shower as well. Tom and Fred are both still more asleep than awake, and by the time they're five miles out of Broadchurch, they're both sleeping again.

Alec calls Daisy's mobile phone. He knows she's at school and probably won't be able to answer, but he hopes she's in the habit of checking her voicemail.

"Darling, it's Dad. I don't mean to scare you, but it's very important you go straight home after school, alright? I'll explain more when I get there. I love you very much. You can call me if you need me," he says, and hangs up. He stares at the phone for a second. Then he calls a contact in the Mercia police and asks him to trace down the number that had sent the texts to his phone. Finally he calls the man he's had tailing Ashworth.

"Craig." His voice is stone cold. He can already hear Craig preparing for a bollocking.

"Now, Hardy, wait a minute—I know exactly where Lee is. He's got a flat outside of Sandbrook and he's doing some work for the local farms. Furthest he's been is the next town over, ever since he got back from France."

"Are you sure? Because this morning he was at my daughter's school." Alec's fury is quiet for now, but he knows his temper is on the verge of snapping. Ellie glances over at him, hearing the strain in his voice.

There's a pause. "He did go out for coffee…Christ Hardy, I'm sorry, I didn't know it was your daughter's school, I'd have found a way to divert him if I'd known."

"You know now. You keep him away from my daughter, Craig, I don't care what it takes."

"Right…will do, boss."

Alec hangs up, feeling completely dissatisfied. Still, in a couple of hours he'll be in Sandbrook himself, much better placed to protect Daisy if he needs to. The idea of her in danger has pushed him past his normal bounds. He will not take this threat passively, although he has no clear plan in mind yet. He can already feel a headache at his temples: Tess will be a pain in the arse about this. He grimaces and runs a hand down his face, knowing that she will be derisive about the whole thing: she'll think he's overreacting, write it off somehow as a prank. If he says anything about the case, she'll flip her top, but that's nothing new. It won't be pleasant, but it's not new.

He glances over to Ellie, his eyes tracing her features. Her wild curls, that rosebud mouth, the scoop of her chin which he finds, for lack of a better word, rather adorable. He'd never actually say that to her, how stupid would that sound? But the thought often flits across his mind before he can help it. He is glad she's with him. Sandbrook haunts him, it shrouds him in uncertainty, but Ellie will be able to slice through all that. She'll catch what he missed. And, on a more personal level, she'll lend him some of her indomitable strength.

"You don't want to head straight to Daisy's school?" she asks him, breaking into his thoughts.

"No." He shakes his head and looks out of the window, taking in the sky. "If I did that, Tess might have me pulled into the station. I'd better approach her first."

"What, nearly arrested for protecting your own daughter?" Ellie's brow is furrowed as she glances over at him. "Why the devil would she do that?"

"She'll think I'm overreacting."

"Not if she sees that text message."

Alec isn't so sure. Tess often accused him of having tunnel vision when they worked, especially toward the end, and he supposes it's true. He's always thought that she's too quick to dismiss, too quick to move on to new theories or suspects. As a team, they had usually—eventually—come to a middle ground. But pitted against one another, it was often a recipe for disaster. And nothing pits them against one another faster than Daisy.

He lets out a sigh and tries not to stoke his worry. He's feeling perturbed enough without piling more concerns on top of his present ones.

"We'll get to her in time, Alec," Ellie says, reading him nearly as well as he can read her. He looks over at her and then gives a short nod. For the moment, he doubts that Lee will make a direct move…but if Alec doesn't cooperate, it's only a matter of time.

Tomorrow he'll have to track down Claire. The thought isn't exactly a pleasant one, but it's time now. He's been prepared for Lee's return for a while. The only part he hadn't anticipated was Lee targeting Daisy.

But Lee isn't a parent, he doesn't fully understand what he's done. If he has to, if Lee makes him, Alec would kill to protect his daughter. He wouldn't even hesitate, there would be no regrets.

One way or another, the nightmare of the Sandbrook case is going to end.

**-AE-**

It's nearly noon when the four of them arrive in Sandbrook. Both Fred and Tom are awake and hungry, and Alec directs them to a local restaurant. He can see that Tom is grateful to get out of the car and stretch his legs, though hunger has made Fred a bit crabby. Ellie placates him with a box of raisins she whisks out of her purse, clearly prepared for this eventuality.

They settle in and order, though Alec is not very interested in food. He picks at his when Ellie glares at him.

"We'll go to Tess first. Then, hopefully, we can pick up Daisy from school." A plan is forming in his mind, at least insofar as getting Daisy safely out of the way. He doubts Ellie will like it, but he can't think of anyone else he would trust with his daughter's life. He decides to speak to her privately about a bit later.

After eating, he directs Ellie to the police station. It's strange to be back here, but he forces himself to remain detached. His hands ball on his knees, and Ellie reaches over and touches one of his fists. He forces himself to relax and uncurl his fingers.

"Is this where you used to live?" Tom asks him from the back.

"Yes," Alec replies. It doesn't feel like coming home, though. "My daughter still lives here."

"I like Daisy. She's cool."

A little smile touches Alec's lips. "She likes you and Fred, too. And your mum. Very much."

After a few minutes, the station comes into view. He'd spent so much time here before it all fell apart, but all that came to mind at the sight of it now were the memories of leaving it for the last time in shame. It burns in his chest, that feeling of misery and loss, and he shoves it away. He's no longer a disgraced detective and a cuckolded husband, and there's no reason for him to act as though he is. He'll walk into that station with his head high.

**-AE-**

Alec recognizes many of the faces in the station, including the young woman at the front desk. A few call out friendly greetings, a few stare, and a few others can't place his face now that he isn't clean shaven. He nods back to those that do remember but doesn't stop to chat. He guides Ellie and the boys through the bullpen toward the offices in the back. Before they enter Tess's office—which happens to have been his not so very long ago—Alec stops Ellie and the boys. He looks into Ellie's eyes, aware that he more than likely has the look of a man on his way to the gallows.

"You don't have to come in, you know. You can take the boys to the break room." Tess will not be happy to see him, and it will no doubt get unpleasant. He can tell, however, that Ellie's curious about his ex-wife and he's not surprised when she insists on coming in with him. He only hopes that with Tom and Fred in the room, Tess will mind her tongue.

He raps on the glass, two quick taps of his knuckles, and then pushes the door open. Behind her desk, Tess is clearly waiting for him. There's a bit of packed lunch on her desk, half-eaten, and her computer screen hasn't gone idle yet, but any paperwork she'd had out has been put out of sight. Alec realizes that the woman at the front desk probably rang her to let her know that he was on his way to her.

"What," she asks as she stands up, "are you doing here, Alec?"

He glances around the office. She hasn't changed much, but then he hadn't really added many personal touches for her to get rid of after she'd inherited it. He does catch sight of a picture of Daisy on her desk, and some of her commendations are on the wall, but thank God no hints of Dave. No hints of him, either, but that's alright.

"Tess, I think Daisy is in danger." He doesn't bother to ply her with small talk. He pulls out his phone and opens the text message, walking toward her desk to hand it over. "I received that this morning."

Tess stares at the picture. Her eyes narrow and it's clear that she is equally appalled that someone would follow their daughter around and take pictures without her knowledge…but she still looks up at Alec with cool eyes.

"You could have just rang me. I'll get someone on it immediately. Forward the message to my phone and I'll get our tech guys on it," she says. "No need for you to come all the way up here."

Ellie and Tom are both silent, and even Fred is watching the exchange with wide eyes. He's not old enough to understand the words, but Alec thinks he can grasp the tense emotional atmosphere, and he is clinging tightly to his mother.

"I think it's Lee Ashworth," he says, mentally bracing himself for what he knows will inevitably follow. Tess doesn't disappoint: her face immediately darkens and becomes a remote mask.

"Don't you dare start in on that with me, Alec. It's always the same old story with you, isn't it? It's time to let it rest. Lee Ashworth got acquitted. This is probably a kid that wanted to take Daisy to a dance and she turned him down."

"It isn't." Alec takes his phone back and slips it into his pocket. "He knows I helped hide Claire away after the trial and he wants her back. He's come back from France. Craig has been tailing him."

"Oh, _please_ tell me you have not roped other people into this already, Alec." Tess' sigh is long suffering and it makes Alec's hands ball into fists. He can feel his own tolerance for this conversation reaching its breaking point. She makes everything so bloody _difficult_. She wouldn't even be in this office if it weren't for him, and her derision for his theory about Ashworth is a slap in the face. She knows he's a good detective, she knows this could be serious for Daisy, but she won't listen.

Ellie had taken one look at that text message and had insisted on coming all the way up here. The contrast between the two women is shocking, and he stares at his former wife in disgust.

"Daisy could be in real danger," he tells her, his voice low and measured as he struggles to maintain control of his temper.

"And I've told you I'll do something about it. You can make a formal statement while you're here and we can get a PC to look out for her, I'll ask her some questions and see if she's noticed anything unusual…it'll be handled, Alec. There's nothing more for you to do."

"Dammit, Tess, it's Lee!" His outburst surprises even him, and Fred buries his face into Ellie's neck and begins to cry. Immediately he feels like an ass for startling the baby, but Ellie is already at work soothing him, bouncing him gently and humming comforting words into his ear.

He makes a supreme effort to regain control of his temper. When he speaks again, his voice is much lower but no less intense.

"I'd like to take Daisy back to Broadchurch. There's a good school there, and Ellie can watch out for her while I find out what Lee wants. And if I need her with me, Daisy can watch her boys while we're gone," he tells Tess.

"You're Ellie, I presume?" Tess asks, looking over at the other woman. "What's your interest in all of this?"

"We worked together. Ellie's up for a DI position in Broadchurch. And she cares about Daisy. They're friends."

"Oi, I can answer her." Ellie shoots him a quick glare but when she meets Tess' gaze, she admits that he's pretty much summed it up.

"You're Ellie _Miller_ ," Tess breathes, suddenly recognizing her, and Ellie's face tightens a bit at the eyes and mouth.

"Bryant actually, these days," she says, her voice utterly flat.

"Of course, sorry." Tess doesn't sound sorry, but the words are polite enough and Ellie nods in response. "These are your sons?"

"Yes," says Tom. He's standing tall beside his mother, looking like for all the world like he's assessing this other woman. He's clearly ready to come to his mother's defense at the slightest hint that it would be required, and Alec approves.

"Sorry about the trial. Must have been rough." Tess sits again, signaling the unofficial end to this meeting. "Listen, Alec: Daisy is staying here. I'm thoroughly unconvinced that Lee Ashworth has come back from France to stalk our daughter and send you obscure text messages. I'll make sure she's protected. Go back to Broadchurch." She pauses and suddenly has the air of someone who is relenting somewhat. "You're all welcome to come over for dinner. I'm sure Daisy would like to see you since you've come all the way up here."

"Right. Thanks." He motions for Ellie and Tom to leave the office before him, holding the door for them. He looks back at Tess one last time, but she's already clicking away on her computer.

His heart twists in his chest. He leaves her behind without another word.


	2. Chapter 2

They stop at the hotel next. Ellie has booked them two rooms for the night and it’s a good chance to drop off their bags and discuss what’s up next. After leaving his overnight bag on the bed, Alec walks next door to Ellie’s room and knocks. She lets him in, revealing a room with two queen-sized beds. Tom is happily playing a game on a tablet computer and Fred is napping on one of the beds, so Alec settles on the other one next to Ellie.

“Well, she was something,” she says. “No wonder you were nervous.”

“I wasn’t nervous.”

“You were a little nervous.” She pokes his arm. “I don’t blame you. Her reaction when you said Lee’s name—”

He nods, closing his eyes. “Yes, it’s…a bit of a sticking point with us.” It was a colossal understatement, but he didn’t need to explain that to Ellie.

“Wish you had mentioned your brilliant plan to stash Daisy with me a little earlier.”

“I didn’t expect her to go for it, anyway.”

Ellie shrugs. “I wouldn’t mind having her, but I’m not going to let you bundle me away while you see to Ashworth alone.”

“Ach, you’re stubborn.”

“No more than I need to be, with you around,” she shoots back. A small smile curls his lips and he ducks his head to hide it, but he isn’t fast enough and she grins back at him.

“By the way, I meant to add…perhaps you should ask Daisy if she’d like to come down to Broadchurch?”

Alec glances at her, impressed. “That’s pure evil…you’re outstanding.”

She beams at him, and it lights up her whole face. “I know.”

He draws her closer to his side, and Tom says, “Oi, no mushy stuff,” in a bored voice without even looking up from his game. It takes Alec completely off guard, both because he hadn’t thought Tom knew just how ‘mushy’ he and Ellie had gotten, but also because it reminds him strongly of Daisy telling him to stop being so soppy.

He chuckles, though the thought of his daughter is a pang. Beside him, Ellie is laughing without restraint, and she tosses a throw pillow at her son.

“Oi, no one was getting mushy,” she says, but her cheeks have gone quite rosy. Tom looks up at her, completely unconvinced, and this time Alec does laugh. Startled, Ellie joins him while her son resumes his game.

When school lets out, Daisy calls him.

“Oi, dad, what’s with the spooky voicemail?” Her voice is chipper, but he can hear the undertone of worry. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. I’m here in Sandbrook with Ellie and the boys. Listen, darlin’, there’s something you should know.”

“Okay, now I’m really worried. What is it?”

Alec winces. He hadn’t meant to have this conversation over the phone. “Why don’t you head home? We’ll meet you there and have a bit of tea, and I’ll explain everything. Will your mum be home?”

“Probably not til dinner. Has someone been hurt, dad?”

“No, everyone’s healthy. Go straight home, alright? Have you got a ride?”

She does have one: her best friend’s mother usually drops her off if she doesn’t come over. Alec tells her that he’ll see her in a few minutes. Ellie gathers up a still-sleeping Fred and Tom brings along the tablet. For a moment, Alec wonders what Tess will say when she gets home and finds all four of them already there…but he pushes it aside. He needs to see Daisy, to reassure himself that she’s okay, and he wants her to be aware of the situation. He’ll take the bollocking for the unexpected visit quite happily if it means protecting Daisy.

**-AE-**

It is strange to be driven through town to his former home. The streets are the same, the houses are as well. It’s as though he hadn’t left, and he finds that he doesn’t welcome this feeling. All the time he’d thought he’d wanted to come back here, and now that he is…well, it only underlines the fact that it was Daisy he missed, and not Sandbrook itself.

They turn onto his street and his eyes trace over the familiar lane. It’s still a pretty little spot; the house had been more than he had wanted to spend, but Tess had insisted and so they’d come to live here. There are trees and a little park. Not far away is a stream that Daisy used to splash in as a kid, which had always gotten her in a spot of trouble with her mum (“Look at all this mud? What am I to do with you?”). It’s mostly families in the area, and a few older people. It’s quiet here, a perfect English neighborhood. One might put it on a postcard for wholesome living.

A few houses down the lane and they’re there. Ellie pulls over as Alec studies the house he’d raised Daisy in. This was the last place he’d been part of a family…

He glances at Ellie, then looks back over his shoulder at Tom and Fred and he thinks he might need to amend that last observation.

They get out of the car and Daisy meets them at the door. She hugs her dad and then Ellie, and then she shows them all into the sitting room. Alec’s eyes move over the familiar shapes of the home, but it’s different: new colors on the walls, family pictures nearly all replaced. Ellie glances up at him and he can see something in her eyes, something soft and concerned. He brushes a hand down her arm to let her know he’s alright and she gives him a small smile in return.

Daisy catches the exchange and looks up at Alec. His cheeks flush a bit, but he nods to answer the silent question, and he’s gratified to see her smile too.

“I’ll make tea, shall I?” Ellie asks, handing Fred over to Alec. “If you’ll just show me where it is? Give you two a moment to talk.”

“Sure thing. I’ll show you. And Tom, if you’d rather, I’ve got a computer upstairs or there’s a park down at the end of the lane. Usually some kids there playing football.”

He looks up at Ellie and she agrees to let him go to the park so long as he keeps his phone on him and checks in every so often. Daisy shows Ellie where the tea, cups and kettle are and then she and Alec sit together on the couch in the living room.

“So, tell me what’s going on.”

“Someone sent me a picture of you this morning. They were at your school this morning and they took the picture without your knowledge.” He hates saying the words, they’re vile in his mouth. Daisy’s eyes are wide as she takes in the information, and Alec draws her into his side and curls an arm around her shoulders, careful not to disturb Fred in the process. If only he could keep her here, where she would always be safe…but he knows he can’t.

“Do you know who it is?”

“I think I do. Your mother doesn’t agree with me.”

She pulls back a little and rolls her eyes. “That’s not a surprise.”

“She thinks it’s someone playing a prank. Maybe a boy at school you’ve rejected? But in that case I’m not sure how they’d have gotten my mobile number.”

“It is on your business cards,” Daisy reminds him, “but there hasn’t been anything like that, and you haven’t worked here in a long time.”

Not to mention the fact that he never remembers to hand out his contact cards. But Daisy’s right: his mobile number is more or less a matter of public record. Still, this doesn’t have the air of a prank. That taunt: **now show me mine**. That had to be Ashworth talking about Claire.

“Are you alright?” he asks her.

“I dunno. It…makes me feel a bit gross, if I’m honest.” She does look a bit uneasy and it breaks his heart a bit. “You’ll get him though, won’t you? Make him stop?”

“I will,” Alec promises. This time Lee Ashworth is not slipping the hook.

Ellie comes in with tea before he can say more. She hands Daisy a mug and then Alec before retrieving her own. She sits in the chair near the couch.

“I’d thought…maybe, until we know more about who’s doing this and why, you might like to come down to Broadchurch. You can stay with me or, if I’m gone, with Ellie and the boys.” He pauses. “Your mum is against it.”

“I’d like to come down.” Daisy gives Ellie a smile. “It’s nearly summer…I could come back with a tan from lying on the beach and make everyone jealous. But…would this person follow me?”

Alec’s shoulders stiffen at the thought. “I don’t know. It’s possible. But I wouldn’t let him near you, I promise you that.”

Before he can say more, the front door opens and all of them turn to see Tess arriving home from work.

“I did say dinner, didn’t I?” she asks mildly, her eyes moving from Ellie to Alec, down to Fred in his lap. Her eyebrow arches and when she meets Alec’s gaze again, he can see that she’s begun to make the connection.

“Welcome home, mum. I’ll make you some tea.” Daisy bounces off of the couch and heads into the kitchen.

“It’s been a while since you’ve handled a baby,” Tess says, glancing down at the toddler in Alec’s lap again.

“We’re fast friends now, me and Fred.” Alec is striving to keep his tone light, but a moment later Ellie stands and comes over to collect her son. Alec hands him over, brushing a hand over the boy’s curls as his mother settles him against her shoulder.

“Were you going to tell me?” Tess’s eyes are on Ellie now, and they are cool and appraising. It isn’t a size-up, not exactly, but there isn’t a lot warmth in the look either. Much to Alec’s amusement, Ellie’s chin goes up and she holds Tess’s gaze.

“It didn’t seem appropriate when you were all but throwing us out of your office,” he replies drily, “but I’m telling you now.”

He stands and Tess turns her attention to him, waiting for him to say the words out loud. He is surprised to see that the idea of him involved with someone else is upsetting to her, although you’d have to look close to see it. He knows her well enough to recognize the hurt there.

“Ellie and I are…I care for her. Very much.”

“Well. That’s nice. I’m glad.” She isn’t; Alec can tell that ‘glad’ is the last thing Tess is feeling, but her sudden possessiveness over him is annoying rather than gratifying. She’d left him, after all…shagged his subordinate and then let him leave Sandbrook in complete disgrace. She’d moved on long before he had.

Her eyes turn to Ellie. “And you? Do you feel the same?”

“Of course I do.” There’s a fire in Ellie’s eyes. “I care for him very much.”

“Well, this should be an interesting dinner.” Tess turns away from them and walks into the kitchen to join Daisy. Ellie moves over to Alec’s side with a muttered, “Blimey!”

He sighs. “Don’t let her get to you.”

She swats his arm—she hates shitty platitudes—and Alec decides that Tess is right: it is going to be an interesting dinner.

**-AE-**

Ellie retrieves a pushchair from the car and goes off in search of Tom while Daisy and Tess prepare dinner. Alec lingers in the sitting room for a while, feeling strongly pulled in two directions. He can hear Tess and Daisy in the kitchen and the sounds are nostalgic for him, reminding him of a family life that had one point made him feel profoundly content.

But that is lost to him. Even as he stands here, listening to the echoes of his old life, he knows he can’t get it back. It isn’t entirely a lost cause: he and Daisy are growing close again, and even Tess might not be a hostile presence in his life given time. But their days of all living together under the same roof are over.

Now that he has a future, he knows it isn’t here anymore. He’d gone to Broadchurch for the end…and it had become the beginning.

Ach, he’s glad Daisy can’t hear his thoughts. No doubt she’d yell at him for being absurdly soppy.

He steps outside, hoping to spot Ellie and her boys heading back. His eyes skim over the quiet neighborhood and he does spot her: she’s standing on the corner, speaking with someone he can’t see due to a garden hedge. She shakes her head a little, perhaps indicating that she isn’t familiar with the area. Tom is with her, but focused on a very unhappy Fred.

A coldness starts creeping into Alec’s belly. He isn’t sure why this scene is disturbing to him, but his instincts are telling him that something is badly amiss.

He starts toward Ellie, walking at first and then breaking into a jog. She glances over and spots him, waving, but the person she was speaking to immediately turns and disappears down the intersecting lane, the hedge now completely obscuring him. She turns to see him retreating and calls out, confused. Alec picks up the pace as that cold feeling fills his chest.

He reaches her at the end of the lane and his eyes search for the other figure: he catches a glimpse of a very familiar form slipping into a car, but before he can make it down the lane to the vehicle, it screetches away from the sidewalk and disappears down the road. He slows to a halt, sucking in a few deep breaths.

He walks back to Ellie, his frustration rolling off of him as the ice in his chest turns into a burning disgust.

“That man…what did he ask you?” His tone is sharper than he means it to be, and Fred cries all the louder for his gruffness. Ellie stares up at him, eyes slightly widened.

“He just asked me if I knew the area very well. I told him no, we’ve only just got here. Then I spotted you and he made a break for it. Oh God, Alec…was it him? Was it Ashworth?”

He doesn’t answer, but he doesn’t need to. He can see that she knows she’s right. They stare at each other as Fred’s cries echo down the street. Alec is shaking with rage and Ellie is stunned. Finally he jerks his head toward his old home.

“We’d better get back. Tess can’t ignore this, she can’t ignore Ashworth here on her own doorstep.”

“She won’t, I’m sure of it.” Ellie places a calming hand on his arm. His first instinct is to shake it off, it’s almost a reflex at this point. But he doesn’t. His hand comes up to cover hers and he forces himself to focus on her face. He takes a couple of deep, steadying breaths as he looks at her. Then, feeling more stable, he leads her back to the house.


	3. Chapter 3

"It was _him_ , Tess! Why would I make something like that up?"

Alec's head is pounding at the temples as he stands in the kitchen arguing with his ex-wife. Tess's face is flushed with passion. Her anger and disgust are familiar to him, only now at least those emotions aren't directed entirely at him. This time she's at last taking him seriously and not just dismissing the idea of Lee Ashworth lingering within easy reach of Daisy. He can tell that the news of him being so close has unnerved her, and yet she's still resisting the idea of getting Daisy out of Sandbrook.

"You saw him?" Tess' hands are on her hips and her agitation is palpable in the room. Daisy, Ellie and the boys are in the sitting room and can no doubt hear every single word. He is willing to bet that Daisy is squirming with embarrassment at her parents having a row, while Ellie is no doubt trying to ease her discomfort.

"From behind. He was getting into a car with no number plates. He spoke to Ellie."

Tess glances out at the sitting room, then back up at Alec's face. "Even if he was here, don't you think I'm better capable of protecting her? I have police resources at my fingertips."

"So do we, and Lee isn't familiar with Broadchurch. It's my territory. Even more so, it's Ellie's."

"Ah yes, the amazing Ellie. You've certainly got a high opinion of her."

"I do, one which she's earned regardless of my personal feelings for her. And what does that have to do with anything?" His temper, already paper-thin, is starting to shred at the edges.

"So you want to take my daughter down south, place her with a woman I don't know—one that you're having sex with—and just stay on here without getting in your way, is that it?" Tess asks him, her sarcasm cutting.

"Oh, for God's sake, Tess, stop trying to cloud the issue! I'm trying to do what's best for Daisy!"

"Well I'm not at all certain that she'll be safer with you!"

"I am not leaving Daisy here, not with Lee Ashworth on the bloody doorstep."

"And what happens if Lee follows you, eh? Just what do you expect to accomplish?"

"I can protect Daisy and solve this damn case once and for all." Alec is holding Tess's gaze, trying to make her understand. "I can give those families closure. We failed them, Tess. But we can make it right."

She turns away from him, her face a bitter mask. He can tell she wants to lash at him, she wants to tell him off for saying that they failed, but she knows he's right. And though he has never let her shoulder the burden alone, she also knows what led to that failure. It hurts him, to see her this way. He knows it shouldn't hurt him, but once he had loved her very much, and there are still echoes of that love there.

He turns away from her and heads into the sitting room. They'll probably have a few more words with each other before the evening is done, but it's clear that for now it's time to leave it alone. At any rate, no matter what else she has to say, he will not change his mind; he won't leave Daisy here with Ashworth lingering so close.

Ellie is the only one in the sitting room. She offers Alec a small smile, although there's a bit of a wince in there as well.

"Sent the kids upstairs when sex came up. Figured they didn't need to know any of the details," she says, standing as he walks over to her. He nods and then his gaze falters away from hers, dropping to the floor. The stress of Ashworth being so close, and the fight with Tess…they've both worn him out. And now they'll all have to sit around a dinner table and try to chat as though everything is normal.

"Alright?" she murmurs to him softly. He looks at her, not sure how to answer (he doubts very much that she'd accept a 'fine' after listening to his fight with Tess). She gives his upper arm a quick squeeze just as Tess comes out and announces that dinner is ready. She's composed herself while in the kitchen, but she catches the gesture between Alec and Ellie, and she stares at him while they head to the kitchen to wait for the kids.

Christ, this is going to be an uncomfortable meal.

**-BC-**

Silence reigns at the table for a few long moments as the meal gets underway. Tess is openly watching him and Ellie, and she's also keeping a close eye on Ellie's interactions with Daisy. He finds it irritating, but he knows that snapping at her won't help matters, so he keeps his tongue on a leash. For now.

Daisy, perhaps sensing his disquiet, works extra hard to set everyone at ease. Fred is already her biggest fan: all through dinner he works hard for her attention, and he's so well-behaved that Ellie jokes about hiring her full-time. His daughter also coaxes some conversation out of Tom, and for a while they all listen to him talk about football. He's a fine boy—a fine young man—and a credit to Ellie. But inevitably, the polite conversation ends. It's clear that everyone at the table apart from wee Fred has questions, and there will perhaps never be another opportunity quite like this to ask them.

"So. You two worked together." Tess is looking back and forth between Alec and Ellie.

"He stole my job," Ellie answers, sipping at a glass of wine. Her smile is cheerful, almost playful. She's probably hoping to establish some sort of comradery with Tess, though Alec doubts it will be a successful venture.

"And you worked the Latimer case as partners?"

Ellie's smile starts to freeze on her face. She's maintaining it, but Alec can see a sudden wariness in her eyes. He clears his throat, hoping to draw his ex-wife's attention away from her.

"Best not, at least with the kids at the table," he says softly, but his tone is firm.

Tess pauses, and there is a silent battle of wills across the table, hers versus his. Tom shoves his food around on his plate and Daisy's cheeks flush a bit as she stares down at the table.

"I meant to say…that's how you got to know each other then, working the case?"

"Sure, sort of." Ellie tries another smile. Like always, she is doing her best to salvage an uncomfortable situation. Alec can't tell if that trait is annoying or endearing, but right now he's grateful for her patience. "If I'm honest, he nearly annoyed me to death the whole time. But…well…after the arrest, he was always there."

"You really are such a sop," Daisy tells him with an affectionate smile. Alec returns it, for a moment forgetting the awkward tension at the table. It fills him with warmth, instantly easing some of the tension in his neck and shoulders. Tess is not quite as amused.

"Typical Alec…he does have a thing for women on the job," she says, and although her tone is light and playful, there is a hard look in her eyes. Ellie's smile shrinks a bit as the two women stare at each other from across the table.

"He's not the only one though, is he?" she asks, and there's no mistaking the challenge in her tone. Tess's mouth opens in response to Ellie's thinly veiled reference to Dave, but words have failed her for a moment. And though the situation is dangerously close to slipping back into an altercation, Alec has to admit that one thing he's always admired about Ellie is her refusal to be intimidated.

"Alec mentioned that you and Daisy are friends?" Tess asks, steering the conversation back toward safer waters.

"Oh yeah, we met in hospital, during Dad's surgery. Ellie was really nice. She stayed with us the whole time, even brought him some grapes." Daisy's smile is bright as she looks to Ellie. "It really cheered us both up, having you there."

Ellie's answering smile for his daughter is brilliant, lighting the room. "You were brilliant, Daisy. Very brave, right through the whole thing."

Tess' eyes slip from Alec to Daisy to Ellie and back, taking in the warmth between the three of them. Alec wonders if she'll try to explain her absence that day, but then he realizes that of course she won't. She's too proud for that. She made a decision and she stuck to it, and he'll never know if she even considered coming to be with him at all. If she worried for him even for just a second.

She looks a little pale now, as her eyes move from Ellie's face to his. She can't seriously be jealous—can she? She had never seemed to regret the end of their marriage before. He wants to ask her why, but he won't do it in front of Ellie and the children. And perhaps it would be easier if he never asks her at all.

A silence settles over the table for a few minutes. Tom and Daisy have both decided to ignore their awkward parents and have started a side conversation about television shows while the adults focus, for a while, on eating quietly.

"Dinner is very good," Ellie says to Tess, once again trying to rescue the remainder of the evening.

"Tikka masala is one of Alec's favorites," the other woman replies, turning to flash him a smile. "Used to send someone to pick it up for everyone at the station once a week, especially if there was a tough case on."

This bit of familiarity surprises Alec, not because she remembered, but because she is suddenly warm and open when a moment before he could have sworn there would be shots fired across the table. He nods, remembering many nights of sitting in South Mercia Police Station's bullpen with all his DS's and PC's in a rough circle around a few of the desks, everyone washing away the day's stresses or horrors with a bit of hot food.

Tess lays a hand on his arm, perhaps sharing in these same memories. He feels a burst of nostalgia, remembering a time when she'd touched him with real love. His heart twists hard in his chest: she had fallen out of love with him long ago, but his feelings for her had been true and strong right up to, and even for a while after, he'd found out she'd cheated on him.

He pulls his arm away from her touch. Suddenly it's all too much: being in his old house, with Tess's hand on his arm, speaking of the old days. All he wants is to head back to Broadchurch with Ellie, the boys and Daisy.

As he thinks it, he realizes that he can't seem to draw in a full breath. He knows this could be a sign of complications, a sign that his pacemaker not working correctly, and in a flash of panic he leaves the table suddenly and without a word. He bursts out into the back garden, sucking in huge breaths of the cool night air. Reflexively, he looks around for any hint that Ashworth is nearby even as he takes a moment to steady himself. His hand comes up to his chest, rubbing the fabric of his shirt over his heart as he tries to calm down. Never in his life had he expected to long for the clean, bracing sea breezes of Broadchurch, but he is now. Sandbrook is stifling him. This house in particular…it's like all of his history here is reaching up to choke him.

His heart rate normalizes as he calms down, and as long as he doesn't focus too hard on the memories Tess is stirring up, he can breathe normally as well. He's still standing there working up the will to go inside when the back door slides open a moment later.

Ellie joins him in the garden, halting at his side. She doesn't say anything although her eyes are full of concern. When he looks at her, she tries to smile but doesn't quite pull it off. He's scared her a little, and he feels a pang of regret at that.

"Is it your heart?" she asks, glancing at the hand he still has pressed to his chest. He drops his arm.

"It's okay. Gave myself a bit of a scare, but I'm fine now."

She looks as though she might not fully accept this explanation, and her hand shoots out and curls around his arm. He opens his mouth to ask her what she's doing, and then she presses two of her fingers against the inside of his wrist, and he realizes.

"Are you checking my pulse?" he asks her, a bit taken aback.

"Of course I am, you knob. You're supposed to be checking too, remember? Now stop disrupting my count." He scowls at her but remains silent as she counts the beats of his heart, and she lets out a relieved breath when she drops his arm a moment later.

"You're alright," she tells him.

"I told you I was," he grumbles back at her, shoving his hands into his pockets. But his indignation is fading fast. He already feels better again, not so tangled up in the past. Not so trapped. Bickering with her, even superficially, has done much to improve his temper. And now that she's assured herself that he is, actually, alright, she tells him what he missed after escaping out here for some fresh air.

"Daisy's in there, trying to convince Tess to let her come down, at least for a few days." Her voice is quiet. "We should go back to the hotel soon, don't you think?"

He nods. The light catches in her curls and she is radiant to him in that moment. He can feel the muscles in his shoulders and back relaxing as he looks at her, and his eyes are soft as he studies her face. That sense of being overwhelmed is nearly gone now, and he brushes a kiss over her cheek before leading them back inside. Somehow, merely by being there, she has stabilized him. He doesn't know what to say, but he thinks she can tell how grateful he is: she's used to his wordless communication by now. But he makes a mental note to say thank you when they get back to the hotel.

Tess and Daisy are in the sitting room waiting, and while neither party looks especially pleased, Tess has finally relented.

"She can stay with you for the week. But I _will_ be coming down on the weekend to see how she's doing and to make sure you've got her well protected. You say you have police contacts so I expect to find out she's had someone on active duty looking in on her. And where is she going to sleep?"

"I have a flat." It only has one bedroom, but he doesn't mention this fact to Tess. Another idea is already forming in his mind, but he doesn't mention it yet.

"And this doesn't mean I'm reopening Sandbrook, Alec." Tess' voice is a wall, high and cold, and he doesn't waste the time arguing with her about it. When he has new evidence, when he forces Ashworth to confess, that will be when he'll batter down that wall.

"She'll be looked after, I promise you," he says. "We're going to go back to the hotel for the night. Daisy, I'll be here in the morning to pick you up, alright?"

His daughter nods and, to his surprise and very much to his delight, gets off of the sofa and throws her arms around him.

"Goodnight, Dad," she says in his ear. He gives her an affectionate squeeze.

"Goonight, darlin'." He kisses her forehead and then helps Ellie gather Tom and Fred. He is utterly exhausted, but he's won the first battle. Daisy is coming home to Broadchurch with him.


	4. Chapter 4

Alec watches Ellie settle Fred to sleep as soon as they're back in her hotel room. Eventually, Tom will be sharing the bed with his younger brother, but for now Ellie tucks him in alone. Tom sits on the end of the bed and watches telly while Alec and Ellie settle on the other bed, sitting next to each other with arms brushing.

"So, what's your plan?" she asks him.

"Check on Ashworth's wife, see if I might be able to use her somehow to hunt Ashworth down." Alec know it sounds cold, but he can't find it in himself to care. When Ashworth took that picture of his daughter, he erased any line that Alec might have previously hesitated to cross.

"What about Daisy?"

He pauses, unsure of how she'll respond to his next suggestion. Her eyes narrow on his face while he tries to decide how to put it.

"I don't have a bed for her, and your flat isn't big enough either."

"Don't you dare say what I think you're going to say." Ellie's eyes have narrowed further, and he can see the pain she's trying to bury under her flash of temper.

"Now, hear me out—"

"I haven't been back there, and I don't want to go." She shakes her head. The pain in her is starting to win, her flash of anger is disappearing behind a wave of helpless grief, and Alec's chest feels tight.

"I'll go with you. You and Tom and Fred, you can reclaim it. I'll get Joe's things out of there, and you can finish the remodel, and it will be yours again. And there's space there for Daisy." He lays a hand on her leg. "It's near the middle of town, where other people will notice if someone strange starts hanging around."

She looks at him, and he can see her common sense warring with the emotion in her eyes. Her gaze drops from his after a moment, and she swallows hard. She's fighting her tears, he knows because he's seen her do it so often. Their lives together have been one storm after another, and God help him, he knows she deserves better. She's the only thing keeping him standing, but she should have more than his old battles. More than the best of exclusively bad choices.

He shoves his emotion down, and his hand comes to rest on her shoulder, his thumb moving in soothing circles against her upper arm.

"Alright," she says at last. Her voice is a little thick, but when she looks up at him again, the tears have been vanquished. "We'll move back into the house. At least until this is over."

He nods, pulls her in to kiss her forehead. His eyes are on the far wall but he isn't seeing it; he's too lost in his own thoughts. Ashworth is dangerous, he knows it even if no one else is willing to believe it. He needs to find out where Claire is…and he needs to decide if he wants to use her. She's a loose cannon, unpredictable, and he doesn't like that. On the other hand, she's the only thing that he has which Ashworth wants.

He scrubs a hand down his face. He can figure out those details once he knows that Daisy is in Broadchurch, safe and under Ellie's care.

"I'm exhausted," Ellie murmurs. She looks up and he shifts his gaze to hers. She looks tired, and that means he probably looks even worse.

"Alright. I'll see you in the morning." He stands and Ellie gets up with him to walk him to the door. Tom glances up at them, and Alec ruffles his hair as he passes the boy. He'll have to make some time to spend with Ellie's oldest…he's just lost his father for good, and though Alec is no substitute, he can at least make sure that Tom has someone to talk to, someone to make sure he's getting on alright.

Tom gives him a crooked smile. "Night, Alec," he says.

"Night, Tom. See you tomorrow." He smiles back at the boy with real affection.

He and Ellie stop in the hallway just outside of her door. His is the next one over, but he knows after the Ashworth scare she doesn't want to be far from her boys. He doesn't blame her. She tilts her head back to look up at him, and he realizes how grateful he is that he can read her as well as he can. It eliminates the need for words, and he's never been good with those. He doesn't need her to tell him what she's feeling or thinking, it's all there for him in her eyes.

"Thank you, Ellie." For so many things: he hopes she knows all the reasons why he's saying it, but the gesture is rare enough from him that he doesn't worry she'll overlook it anyway. His fingers come up, brush her cheek, trail back along her jaw and into her curls. Her breath leaves her slowly and the muscles in her neck relax at his touch.

"Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning," she tells him, her eyes dipping to his chest in a burst of shy gratitude for his thank you. He tips her head back a little so she looks at him again, then covers her mouth with his own. Her hands come up to curl into his jumper and she sighs into his mouth. He's certain she has no idea what that does to him, her helpless little exhalations. It's nearly impossible for him to let go of her after that, but after a moment he does. His breathing is a little unsteady, and he stands there with her for one more long moment until he gets it back under control.

"Goodnight," he says, his voice a thick rumble even to his own ears. She watches him as he walks toward his door, and when he looks back over his shoulder at her, she's still looking at him. She gives him a small smile and then slips back into her hotel room.

His own seems lonely after the day he's had, but he knows it won't be long before he's asleep.

**-AE-**

Alec wakes choking, gasping for air and clawing for purchase against the unfamiliar bed. His sheets have been wrapped around his long legs, tangling them in linen knots. His eyes are wide open but it takes him a minute to really see the ceiling above him. As his vision swims into focus, he realizes that he is still in his hotel room in Sandbrook. Ellie and her boys are asleep on the other side of the wall. Daisy is safe at home with Tess. For now, everything is alright.

He closes his eyes. It's a mistake: the bloated, dead faces from his dream are still imprinted on his eyelids. Pippa, yes, but also Daisy and Danny, and now Tom and sometimes wee Fred too.

He jams the heels of his palms into his eyes, chasing the images away with an effort. He heaves himself up into a sitting position. Then he climbs all the way to his feet and goes to the bathroom to get a cup of water. His heart is shuddering hard, but he can feel his pulse starting to stabilize already.

He is halfway through gulping down a glass of water when there's a quiet knock on his door. He's surprised, but maybe he shouldn't be. He's made a hell of a racket, and Ellie has told him before that she doesn't sleep much anymore either. She's probably heard him.

He pads to the door and pulls it open, and there she is, staring up at him with concerned brown eyes.

"Nightmares again?" she asks as he steps aside to let her in. "I can't stay long, I don't want to leave the boys but…I heard you shouting out."

"It's this bloody place," he grumbles as they come to a halt in the center of his hotel room. "First time being back. It's gotten to me."

He isn't used to opening up, not to anyone (which probably added to the decline of his marriage at least in part), but Ellie is nodding as though this makes perfect sense. It probably does: she probably understands better than anyone.

"Do you think Ashworth will follow us down to Broadchurch?" she asks.

"If I don't give him Claire, I'm certain he will." He pauses. "His wife. She testified against him in court, and when he was acquitted I helped to have her hidden. Even I'm not sure exactly where she is—there was always a chance that if I knew, I'd lead Ashworth to her—but I know people who can take me to her."

"Will he hurt her?"

He only shakes his head in response, indicating his uncertainty on that point. He doesn't think Ashworth would harm Claire, at least not badly. He's always been very possessive of her…but then again, Ashworth has proven himself to have violent tendencies. Sort of a fatal attraction, although he's never quite understood the dynamic.

He thought maybe Claire be the one to crack, that in her forced isolation she'd reach out to Ashworth, call him back to England. He's monitored her very carefully from afar: giving her a false sense of security and privacy by staying away, when really he's been aware of her actions since the first day she went into hiding, thanks mostly to a couple of old friends. He's also been able to monitor who she's been calling and how often, thanks to the fact that he's paying for her mobile service.

In the end, however, it doesn't matter why Ashworth has come back. All that matters is not letting him get away again.

"What are you thinking?" Ellie asks him, and he realizes he's been lost in his thoughts for a few moments.

"You should take the DI job," he tells her. She gapes at him, surprised by this change of subject.

"What?"

"You should take the job. You've earned it, and you can't keep living off of your savings. Besides that, it may become vital for one of us to be on active duty, and it will give us access to police resources."

Ellie is shaking her head, he can see her temper rising.

"If I take the DI position, I'll have my own cases. I won't be able to help you with Sandbrook much," she reminds him. He can see that she thinks he's shuffling her out of the way, and that might be part of it: he can't bear to think of her getting pulled under by this case. But his practical reasons are sound as well, and he stands by them.

"It's not as though Broadchurch is a hotbed of crime," he says. "You'll still be able to help me."

"You don't want to let me in. This case is already starting to take over again, and you're going to let it. I won't let you do it, not alone." She's settled into her stubborn stance: her eyes are blazing at him, her arms are crossed over her chest. Her chin is thrust out at him, head up, shoulders back. He knows her well enough by now to understand that she won't give up any ground without a fight, but her insistence is starting to make him panic. Sandbrook has taken too much from him already.

"Ellie, please. I need you in Broadchurch, I need you to look after Daisy. I need to know that when I catch him this time, everything will be handled properly. No more loopholes. Nothing to make the jury second guess his guilt."

"Do you really think I'm just going to sit by at home, twiddling my thumbs until you catch him? Just leave you like this? You're hardly sleeping, you barely eat, and you think, what, I'll just drive down to Broadchurch and hope you'll call me when it's over?"

Alec drags a hand down his face. "Christ, no. Ellie, that's not what I meant."

"Then what do you mean?"

He hesitates. There are things about Sandbrook that he doesn't think he can talk about. Things about those last, painful days before his undignified retreat. Things about what it did to him when he found Pippa's body in the river. He knows he'll have to find a way to let her in. He wants to let her in, he just can't find the strength of will to get through the whole miserable story.

"This case...it destroyed everything for me, Ellie. It destroyed my health, ruined my career. Exposed me for the damn love-sick fool I was. I left here as a shadow, and I didn't think I'd live to come back. I don't want that for you. I want you to get out before it pulls you under, too."

His heart is thudding heavily in his chest, and his fingers come up to massage the scar over his pacemaker. He can feel the raised skin through his shirt, although the pain has long since gone. Ellie watches him do it, and her emotions are storming through her eyes too fast for him to make sense of.

"I'm staying."

"Ellie—"

"Stop trying to get rid of me! How could you possibly think that I'd walk out of here without you?"

"You've got the boys to worry about, and if Lee—"

"If Lee comes anywhere near me, I'll twist off his balls."

Christ, she just might. The mental image is astoundingly amusing.

"I won't let you get pulled into this."

"You don't have a bloody choice."

She is so damn stubborn. There's a strong urge to drag her into his arms and kiss her, and it's warring with the other strong urge to toss her over his shoulder and carry her out to her car so he can drive her back to Broadchurch himself. He isn't sure which desire is stronger.

He needs her and the boys and Daisy to be out of here. Lee will have no problem using Ellie and the boys against him just as he's using Daisy, and Alec will not let that happen. Apart from his daughter, Ellie and her sons are all that matter to him. He's got to get through to her, he's desperate to make her understand.

It slips past his lips without him realizing it; just two words that detonate like a bomb in the room between them.

"Please, love," he says in a pleading tone.

Her eyes blink once, quickly, and then get huge in her face. It's only at that point he realizes what he's called her.

Oh shit.

_Shit._

His fingers come up to scratch at his beard, a nervous tick he's never managed to be rid of, and he wishes he could sink into the floor now. God, no wonder he's so rubbish with women: he's always blurting things out, always putting himself out there like an idiot, bollocking things up nicely for himself.

"Did...you just call me love?"

"Ahhh..." He's wincing, turning his face from her wide-eyed stare because his cheeks are heating. He's certain his ears are bright red, they're always a dead giveaway.

"Love?"

What does he say? His brain is now completely empty except for one word which is running in a loop in his mind's eye, just: _Bollocksbollocksbollocks_ over and over.

"I...Aye. Yes. I did." He can barely hear himself, but he knows Ellie didn't miss a word.

He looks up at she's staring at him, the obvious question written all over her face, and his heart feels like it's about to pop out of his chest and run out of the hotel room as they look at each other.

"Ellie..."

She closes the distance between them, daring him to go on, to answer her even though she hasn't asked him anything yet.

"Yes," he says. He knows what she wants to ask him, and the knowledge has been seared deep into his mind for a little while now. He never dared let himself think about it, not after what had happened between him and Tess. But it was there, she was there, firmly enshrined in his heart. He'd expected—even wanted—to spend the rest of his life alone…but she's changed him, more than maybe even he realizes.

"Yes?" The word is a breathless expulsion of air: she can't quite believe he'd admit it so easily.

He sucks in a breath, lets it out slowly. His arms come around her and as she settles into her spot against his chest, he lowers his lips to her ear.

There are no candles, they haven't been on a single date. He doesn't have a gift or some other tangible evidence of his feelings for her. There is just this: her in his arms in the middle of a hotel room, everything else in their lives a mess except for this deep connection. And absurdly, this means more to him than anything he'd experienced with Tess except maybe the birth of his daughter.

"Yes, Ellie," he says quietly, his breath stirring the curls near her ear. "I love you."


End file.
